Example embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device and a method of fabricating the same, and in particular, to a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device with improved reliability and increased integration density and a method of fabricating the same.
In semiconductor devices, increased integration is an important factor in realizing high-performance low-cost devices. Currently, in a two-dimensional memory semiconductor device or a planar memory semiconductor device, integration is largely affected by a technique of forming a fine pattern, because integration is mainly determined by an area that a unit memory cell occupies. However, because ultrahigh-priced equipment is typically required to form a fine pattern, increasing integration of a two-dimensional memory semiconductor device is still economically limited.
To overcome such a limitation, three-dimensional memory devices (including three-dimensionally arranged memory cells) have been proposed.